Excavating-machine.



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'tioal transverse sectional view thereof.

' UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

JAMES D. BLALOCK, OF CROSS, ALABAMA.

EXCA VATING=MACHINE.

fiPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,240, datedFebruary 25, 1902.

Application filed May 18, 1901. Serial No. 60,878. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES D. BLALOCK, a citizen of the United States,residing at and whose post-office address is Cross, in the county ofLamar and State of. Alabarnzuhave invented new and useful Improvementsin Excavating-Iliachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in excavating-machines, and moreparticularly relates to that class of excavating-machines designed forditchingaud in which the bucketwheel is located within the frame of themachine.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a machine of thecharacter stated which shall be extremely simple in construction, yetone which is capable of thoroughly operating upon the ground for theformation of the ditch and having raised the earth will deposit the sameeither along the line of the ditch or in a suitable conveyance fortransporting the earth to a point of deposit.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the machine thatthe parts thereof will be related in such manner as to be capable ofeasy separation, and thus provide for expeditious repairs in the eventof such being necessary.

with these general objects in view and others which will appear as thenature of the improvementis better understood the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as willbe hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and definitely claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructedin accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a ver- Fig. 3 is asectional plan view of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the frame of theherein-described machine, which frame is substantially rectangular inform, and arranged transversely of said frame at a point intermediateits ends and j ournaled in suitable bearings 2 is a bear ing-shaft 3.Mounted upon the shaft 3 within the frame 1 and adapted to rotatetherewith and on which the whole machine is balanced is a bucket-wheel4, said wheel being open at one of its sides and provided at its otherside with a head 5 and circumferential tread 5, and arranged upon theinner side of said head is an annular flange 6, to which flange isconnected aseries of inwardly-projecting teeth 7. The wheel 4 is alsoprovided at its inner side with a series of con cave buckets 8,saidbuckets being arranged in comparatively close relation, but beingshallow in depth in order to receive but a small percentage of the earthas the same is excavated. Au inwardly-converging annular rim 9 is alsoarranged at the inner side of the head 5 and projects beyond the innerend of the buckets, the annular flange, and the teeth '7, and said rimis designed to protect said teeth from the earth as the same falls fromthe buckets 8 upon the conveyer, to be presently described. It willthusbe seen that liability of the machine becomin g clogged with theexcavated earth during its operation is thereby overcome.

The numeral 10 designates a longitudinallyextending shaft, which shaftisarranged within the wheel 4:, and the ends of said shaft are journaledwithin inwardly-projecting bearing-arms 11, secured to the frame 1 atthe open side of the wheel 4;. Mounted uponthe rear end of the shaft 10isalantern gear-wheel 12, which wheel is meshed by the teeth 7, andmotion is thereby imparted to the shaft 10 when the wheel 4 rotates.Arranged at the side of the frame 1 in advance of the wheel 12 is aconveyor 13, said conveyer being arranged transversely of the frame 1and extending beyond the same, and said conveyor comprises a pair ofguide-bars 14, the inner ends of which are provided with bearings 15,which receive the forward end of the shaft 10. A pulley 16 is mountedupon the forward end of the shaft 10 between the inner ends of theguide-bars 14:, and a similar pulley 17 is arranged at the outer end ofsaid guide-bars mounted upon a shaft 18, journaled in suitable bearings19. Mounted upon the pulleys 16 and 17 is an endless conveyer-belt 20,which belt is provided at suitable intervals with a series of transversestrips 21 to prevent rolling of the earth deposited upon said belt.

To insure the proper deposit of the excavated earth upon theconveyor-belt 20, an inclined guide-plate 22 is arranged at the innerend of the conyeyer 13, said guide-plate being adapt- ICO ed to receivethe earth as the same falls from the buckets 7; but in order that theearth deposited upon said guide will be precluded falling back into thebucket-wheel4as the same is guided onto the conveyer-belt 2O aguard 23is arranged on the inner end of the guide-bars transversely of theconveyer 13 in advance of the guide-plate 22. It is thus obvious thatshould any of the earth deposited upon the guide-plate 22 pass towardthe inner end of the conveyer 13 such earth will be immediately receivedby the guard 23 and guided thereby upon the belt 20. The conveyer 13 issupported by a pair of standards 23, which standards project upwardlyfor the side of the frame 1 immediately beneath the conveyer '13, andextending between said standards is a supporting-rod 24, upon which theconveyer 13 rests. Each of the standards 23 is provided with a series ofvertically-alined openings 25, which openings receive the rod 24, and itwill thus be seen that by properly positioning the rod 2a in theopenings 25 the degree of inclination of the conveyer13 may beregulated.

To effect the excavation of the earth, a plow 26 is adjustably mountedbeneath the conveyer13, and said plowis adapted to guide the earth asthe same is raised thereby into the bucket-wheel 4. Located in advanceof the plow 26 is a colter 27 for the purpose of cuttinginto the earthand severing any weeds or roots in advance of the plow, and journaledupon the forward end of the frame 1, in advance of the colter 27, is aguide-wheel 28, by means of which the machine is steadied in itsmovements. The frame 1 is also provided with a pair ofrearwardly-extending handles 29, by which the operator may control themovements of the machine.

With the parts assembled in the relation described and illustrated theoperation is as follows: A team is attached to the forward end of themachine, preferably by chains in lieu of the usual tongue, and as themachine is drawn forwardly it will be seen that the colter 27 cuts theearth, and the plow 26 raises the earth in the usual manner and guidesthe same into the bucket-wheel 4, where it is received by the concavebuckets 8 and carried upwardly thereby. WVhen said buckets arrive at apoint above the guideplate 22, the earth is deposited on the latter anddirected thereby onto the conveyer-belt 20. During the movement of themachine motion is imparted through the teeth 8 and the gear-wheel 12 tothe shaft 10, and by the latter the conveyer-belt 20 is caused to moveover the pulleys 16 and 17. It will thus be seen that as the earth isdeposited upon the belt 20 the latter carries the earth to the outer endon the conveyer 13, from which point it is either deposited upon theground along the line of the ditch being formed or into a suitableconveyance or receptacle, to be taken to any other point of deposit. Ifit is desired to elevate or lower the conveyer 13 to regulate the degreeof inclination thereof, the same is effected by simply adjusting the rod24 in the proper openings 25 of the standards 23, and if at any timeitis necessary to separate the machine for repairs the conveyer 13, theshaft 10, and the adjacent parts may be readily removed by simplywithdrawing the shaft 10 from the arms 11, which arms are so connectedto the frame 1 as to permit this result being accomplished.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what isbelieved to be a preferable embodiment of the invention, it will beunderstood that the latter is susceptible of various changes in theform, proportion, and minor details of construction, and the right istherefore reserved to modify or vary the invention as falls within thespirit and scope thereof. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is I 1. An excavating machine comprising a frame,an axle mounted on the frame,a bucketwheel mounted on the axlewithin the frame and upon which the machine is balanced, constructedwith a head atits inner side, and with buckets, an annular ring havinglaterally-extending teeth and secured to the head, theinwardly-projecting arms secured to the frame at the outer ends andhaving shaft-bearings at their inner ends, a longitudinal shaft carryinga gear-wheel at its rear end meshed by the laterally-extending teeth,and a pulleyat its forward end, the standards secured to the frame, theguide-bars supported at their inner ends on the longitudinal shaft andat their outer ends onthe standards, the pulley mounted in the outerends of the guide-bars, the endless -belt conveyer mounted on thepulleys, and the inclined guide-plate secured to one of the guide-barswithin the bucketwheel.

2. An excavatingmachine comprising a frame,an axle mounted on theframe,a bucketwheel mounted on the axle Within the frame and upon whichthe machine is balanced, constructed with a head at its inner side, andwith buckets, an annular ring having laterally-extending teeth andsecured to the head, the inwardly-converging annular rim arranged on theinner side of the head and projecting beyond the inner end of thebuckets, annular flange and the teeth, the inwardlyprojecting armssecured to the frame at the outer ends and having shaft-bearin gs attheir inner ends, a longitudinal shaft carrying a gear-wheel at its rearend meshed by the laterally-extending teeth, and a pulley at its forwardend, the standards secured to the frame, the guide-bars supported attheir inner ends on the longitudinal shaft and at their outer ends onthe standards, the pulley mounted in the outer ends of the guide-bars,the endless-belt conveyer mounted on the pulleys, and the inclinedguide-plate secured to one of the guide-bars within the bucket-wheel.

3. An excavating-machine comprising a frame,an axle mounted on theframe,abucketwheel mounted on the axle within the frame and upon whichthe machine is bal'anced,con structed with a head at its inner side, andwith buckets, an annular ring having laterally-extending teeth andsecured. to the head, the inwardly-projecting arms secured to the frameat the outer ends and having shaftbearings at their inner ends, alongitudinal shaft carrying a gear-wheel at its rear end meshed by thelaterally-extending teeth, and a pulley at its forward end, thestandards secured to the frame, the guide-bars supported at their innerends on the longitudinal shaft and at their outer ends on thestandard-s, the pulley mounted in the outer ends of the guide-bars, theendless-belt conveyer mounted on the pulleys, the guard arrangedtransversely of the conveyer at the inner end of the guide-bars, and theinclined guide-plate secured to one of the guide-bars within thebucket-'whee1.

4. An excavatiugmachine comprising a frame,an axle mounted on theframe,a bucketwith buckets, an annular ring having laterally-extendingteeth and secured to the head, the inwardly-converging annular rimarranged on the inner side of the head and projecting beyond the innerend of the buckets, annular flange and the teeth, the inwardlyprojectingarms secured to the frameat the outer ends and having shaft-bearings attheir inner ends, a longitudinal shaft carrying-a gear-wheel at its'rearend meshed by the laterally-extending teeth, and a pulley at its forwardend, the standards secured tov the

